The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 25-038, aims to enhance the confidentiality of individuals filing claims for property damage caused by wildlife in Colorado.
Key Provisions:
Confidentiality Measures:
Mandates that personal information submitted to the Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) through damage claim procedures and proactive nonlethal measures be kept confidential.
Specifies that such information is exempt from disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act.
Legislative Progress:
January 8, 2025: Introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
January 30, 2025: The committee referred the bill, with amendments, to the Senate Committee of the Whole.
February 5, 2025: Senate Third Reading passed with unanimous approval (35-0).
February 6, 2025: Introduced in the House and assigned to the Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee.
This bill seeks to protect the privacy of claimants, encouraging more individuals to report wildlife-related damages without concern for public exposure of their personal information.
Summary
Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee. Under
current law, a person may file a claim with the division of parks and wildlife (division) for compensation for damages to property caused by wildlife, and the division must review and investigate that claim (claim procedures). The bill changes current law by requiring that the personal information of a claimant received by the division through the claim procedures and proactive nonlethal measures is kept confidential and not disclosed pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act.
